Speed-regulator.



G. G. DAVISON.

SPEED REGULATOR.

I APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1909. 951,725. Patented Mar.8,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. G. DAVISON. SPEED REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY 22. 1909.]

'- Patented Mar.8, 1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G.. C. DAVISON. SPEED REGULATOR. APPLICATION FILED MAY'22. 1909.

951,725, Patented Mar. 8, 1910.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED SPEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 8,1910.

Application filed May 22, 1909. Serial No. 497,748.

' and exact description of the invention, such 'which may be found toexist.

as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in speed regulators. It belongs tothe general class of speed measuring instruments, which involve acomparison of the speed to be measured with that of the uniform speedindicated by a clock mechanism. f Such device is' shown in my formerpatent, No. 669,457, dated March 5, 1901. The present device, althoughit belongs to the same general class, is of entirely differentconstruction, and is designed for a specific pur ose. t

T e objectof this invention is to furnish means for running an engine orother mechanism at any constant predetermined speed, means for adjustingthe mechanism to suit any predetermined speed, and means for correctingany excess or deficiency of revolutions of the engine or othermechanism,

This invention is primarily intended for use on the vessels of asquadron or fleet, where it is essential that the leading or guide shipshould run at an absolutely constant speed, and that the other vesselsshould run at exactly the same speed, keeping a fixed interval betweenthe vessels, although it is not restricted to this use. With the methodsordinarily used, it has been impossible to realize these idealconditions, and in practice, they are realized only approximately bycontinuously changing the speeds-0f the ships in an efiort to keep themin their proper relative positions. By my invention, however, this canbe readily and easily obtained.

With these objects in view, my invention consists in the constructionand combinations of parts as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings-Figure 1 is a vertical section of myinvention. Fig. 2 is a front view thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross section onthe line 3--3 of Fig. .1. Fig. 4?

.is a section on the line H of Fig. 1. Fig.

5 is a perspective view of the friction sleeve, and Fig. 6 is aperspective view of the micrometer and sleeve.

1 represents-the base plate, to which are connected pillars or supports2 and 3. On the tops of these supports is mounted a cylindrical casing4, provided with a downwardly-extending tubular portion 5. In the casing4 is mounted a clockwork mechanism 6, of any ordinary or preferred type.8' represents the face of Sflld ClOCk mech anism, sub-divided inthe'usual way, and provided with hour and minute hands 9 and 10, whichhands are mounted on a shaft 9 having a projection 10, whereby the clockmechanism may be wound up. 11 represents a protective glass casing, suchas is ordinarily used for clocks or chronometers. The opposite face ofthe clock mechanism is provided with a' seconds hand 12, having on itsouter end an indicating .arrow 13,- which is arranged to rotate behindthe glass disk 14, making one complete revolution every minute.

15 represents a protective glass plate or casing.

Extending'upwardl-y from the lower part of the cylinder 4 is a pillar16, having an extension 17, which extends inwardly through a perforationin the center of the plate .15.

This extension is' perforated, and through it passes a sleeve 18,arranged to revolve freely therein, ball bearings 19 being provided ateither end to reduce the friction to a minimum. In this sleeve ismounted a shaft 20, which carries on its inner end a friction disk 21.To one end of the shaft 20 is attached an adjusting wheel 22, and aspring 23 is provided, which rests against an ad usting nut 24 on theend of the sleeve 18, and which normally tends to throw the frictiondisk 21 to the left, as shown in Fig. 1. The face of the friction disk21 is divided into a number of equal divisions, preferably ten,consecutively numbered, the starting point having an indicating arrow25, for a purpose hereinafter described.

29, which carries on its upper end a friction disk 30, adapted to engagethe friction disk 21, the spring 23 always tending to keep said disks inengagement. This sleeve 29 may be adjusted up and down on the shaft 26by the following means: The lower end of the extension 5 isscrew-threaded, as shown at 31. Engaging this screw-threaded por tion isan internally screw-threaded sleeve 32, carrying a micrometer wheel 33.The lower part of this sleeve has an extension 34, which engages acollar 35 on the sleeve 29,

so that a movement of the micrometer wheel 33 will cause an up or downmovement of the sleeve 32 and a corresponding movement of the sleeve 29.The lower end of the sleeve 29 is screw-threaded, and adjustable setnuts 36 are screwed thereon to keep the parts in proper relativepositions, and to compensate for wear. After a desired adjustment hasbeen obtained, it is maintained in the following way:

Attached to the pillar or post 3 is a bracket 37, having a perforationthrough which passes the sleeve 32, and 88 repre sents a set screw,whereby said sleeve 32 may be firmly fastened in any desired position inthe bracket.

The operation is as follows: The hand 12 makes one revolution perminute, being ac tuated by the clock mechanism. It is unincumbered byany mechanical connections, and will therefore revolve with the sameprecision and uniformity as the seconds hand of a chronometer. Thisuniformity is practically such that the variation of speed is less thanone one-thousandth of one per cent. The friction disk 21 is geared tothe engine by the connections already described, and revolves at a speedproportionate to that of the engine. As already described, the positionof the friction disk 21, by means of the hand wheel 22, may be adjustedas desired to any position relatively to that of the seconds hand 12.For a predetermined speed of the engine, there will be some position ofthe friction disk 30 which will cause the disk 21 to revolve exactlyonce a minute. If at the beginning the arrows l3 and 25 are brought 1n.line, and if they keep together during the movement of the mechan ism,then the engine is running practically with absolute uniformity. If itis desired that the engine run at a slower but still at a uniform rate,the disk 30 is set at a position nearer the center of the disk 21. lhischange alters the running ratio in the disks,

so that in order to keep the arrows 25 and 13 revolving uniformly, thespeed of the disk 30, and therefore that decreased.

In order that a very fine adjustment'of speed may be made, themicrometer arrangement already described is used. The fixed tube 5 isgraduated with horizontal lines of the engine, must be corresponding tothe pitch of the screw-head. The micrometer head 33 is raduated aroundits circumference for revo utions and fractions thereof. This willenable very fine adjustments to be made, such as one onehundredth of arevolution for an engine whose normal speed is one hundred revolutionsper minute. With this fine adjustment, arrangements are also made fortaking up all lost motion due to wear, by the nuts 36 on the micrometerand the nut 2a.

In order to keep the friction disks in contact, the shaft 20 is mountedin a spool or sleeve 18, which revolves with it, but allows the shaft tobe moved longitudinally therein, the sprin 23 being provided to normallykeep the riction disks in contact.

A. further valuable use of this instrument in connection with a fleet ofwar vessels, is that if a ship should be out of its position, it may bebrought back into the required position and distance by a singleoperation. The face of the disk 21 is marked with a number of equaldivisions, preferably ten, numbered in both directions. it or example,if the screw of a ship is making one hundred revolutions per minute, andthe ship finds herself, say thirty yards behind her position, and it isknown that thirty yards corresponds to ten revolutions of the propellerscrew, then by pushing in the wheel 22, and turning thedisk 21 to theleft, so that its zero position is one-tenth of a minute (that is, tenrevolutions of the engine) behind the center of the arrow 13, then theposition of the arrows will correspond to the relative character andactual position of the ship. If now the speed of the engine betemporarily increased, the two arrows will gradually approach eachother, coming into coincidence at the time when the ship is in herproper position, after which the normal speed will be maintained to keepthese arrows always in coincidence.

I claim 1. In a speed indicator and regulator, the combination of astandard indicator, means for revolving it at a uniform rate of speed,an observation indicator arranged in proximity thereto, means foradjusting said observation indicator relatively to the standardindicator, connections between the observation indicator and, the enginewhose speed is to be regulated, and means for adjusting saidconnections, including a sleeve provided with a friction disk adapted toengage with the observation indicator, and means for adjusting saidsleeve toward and away from the center of said observation indicator,substantially as described. 1

' 2. In a speed indicator and regulator, the combination of a standardindicator, mechanism for revolving it at a uniform rate of speed, anobservation indicator arranged in proximity thereto, means for adjustingthe position of said observation indicator relatively to that of thestandard indicator, connections between said observation indicator andthe engine whose-speed is to be observed, and means for adjusting saidconnections, including a sleeve provided with a friction disk adapted toengage the observation indicator, and means for adjusting said sleeve,including a suitable support and'a micrometer wheel adjustably mountedon said support, and engaging said sleeve, substantial as described.

3. In a speed indicator and regulator, the combination of a standardindicator, means for revolving it at a uniform rate of speed, anobservation indicator arrangedin proximity thereto consisting of a flatdisk having its surface subdivided and marked, a shaft connected to thecenter of said disk, a sleeve in which said shaftis mounted, a handwheel fixed to one end of said shaft, a spring between said hand wheeland 7 said sleeve, and connections whereby said disk is driven by theengine whose speed is to be observed and regulated, substantially asdescribed. a

4. In a speed indicator and regulator, the combination of an indicatinghand, clockwork mechanism for moving said hand at a uniform rate ofspeed, an observation indi-' cator consist-in of a flat disk having itsface subdivided an marked, means for adjusting the position of said diskrelatively to said hand, and connections between .said disk and theengine whose speed is to be ob- "served and regulated, including a shaftdriven by the engine, a sleeve splined to said shaft and having at oneend a friction disk adapted to engage with saidindicating disk,

a mlcrometer provided witha sleeve engaging said first-named-sleeve, andmeans for locking the sleeve of the micrometer after it has beenadjusted, substantially as described.

5. In a speed indicator and regulator, the combination of a hand adaptedto revolve once .a minute, clockwork mechanism for'revolving said hand,an indicator disk arranged in proximity to said hand and adjustable;relatively thereto, said indicator disk having its face sub-divided andmarked, and means for drivingsaiddisk by the engine' whose speed is tobe observed and regu lated, including ashaft driven by said engine, asleeve splined to said shaft and slidably mounted thereon, said sleevebeing provided with a friction disk at one end engaging said indicatordisk, a graduated support, a micrometer wheel movably mounted on saidsupport and having a part engaging said sleeve, and means for lockingsaid micrometer wheel when adjusted, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature, in presence of twowitnesses.

Glamour CALDWELL DAVISON.

Witnesses:

- .W. D. FESLER, F. L. BRAKE.

